The scent of roasted coffee beans and ozone from charging ports filled the air as Eliza pressed open the door to Bean & Byte, the town's newest café and unofficial hangout for Seabrook's brainiest crowd.
It was the kind of place where digital meets caffeine — espresso machines hummed beside holographic menu boards, and sleek booths were rigged with touchscreen tables and built-in USB ports. If zombies, humans, and werewolves had one thing in common, it was a shared love for a decent place to charge their devices and their brains.
Eliza spotted him instantly.
Wyatt sat tucked into a corner booth, glasses on, hoodie sleeves pushed up to his elbows as he scribbled something into a spiral notebook. His usual wild werewolf energy was dialed way down, replaced by a kind of quiet focus Eliza rarely saw — and really liked.
She slid into the booth across from him. "Didn't think you were the 'get-here-early' type."
Wyatt looked up and smiled, soft and slow. "Didn't think you were the 'joking arrival time to test me' type."
Eliza smirked, reaching into her bag and pulling out her tablet. "Guilty. But hey, we're both here, and we've got two hours of uninterrupted—"
"—STUDY DATE!" a voice erupted across the café, cutting through the soft lo-fi music.
Eliza flinched. Wyatt visibly cringed.
Bucky.
Clad in a pastel-pink tracksuit with his initials B.H. bedazzled across the back, Bucky strutted toward them like he was walking a fashion runway instead of interrupting their quiet afternoon.
"Oh no," Eliza muttered, already half-reaching for her tablet like it was a shield.
"YES," Bucky declared, sliding dramatically into the booth next to Eliza. "It's me. Your guardian angel of glam. Your social sensei. Your charisma coach."
Wyatt gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Hey, Bucky… what brings you here?"
Bucky dropped his iced caramel coffee onto the table, the sound echoing ominously. "Addison told me you two were 'getting serious,' and I said, absolutely not without supervision. So here I am. You're welcome."
"We didn't invite—" Eliza started, but Bucky held up a manicured hand.
"No need to thank me. I felt your cry for help through the universe. Also, I was bored and my stylist canceled."
Eliza slumped in her seat, groaning softly. "This was supposed to be a low-key, zombie-werewolf bonding session. No drama. No distractions. Just studying."
"Sounds like exactly what I'm here to fix!" Bucky grinned, snapping his fingers and pulling out his infamous custom flashcards — each one laminated, color-coded, and, for some reason, featuring glamour shots of himself on the back.
Wyatt glanced at Eliza. "We can sneak out the side door."
"I installed the café security system," she said dryly. "He'll find us."
"Flashcard time!" Bucky announced, ignoring them entirely. "Let's start with energy systems. But make it sparkle. What is the process by which solar energy is converted into electrical power in photovoltaic cells?"
Eliza raised a brow, surprised. "Photovoltaic effect."
"Correct!" Bucky spun the card in his hand. "I give that answer a 7. Needs more flair, but I'll allow it."
Wyatt tilted his head. "Wait… are you actually helping us study?"
Bucky feigned offense. "I am multi-dimensional. I can be dazzling and academic."
Over the next half hour, Bucky quizzed them — surprisingly competently — while offering fashion critiques of their notes, dramatic reenactments of science concepts, and unsolicited dating advice. "You two need a couple's aesthetic. Eliza, moody cyber-goth. Wyatt, soft forest-core. Boom. Balanced."
Despite the chaos, Eliza found herself laughing — a real, relaxed kind of laugh she didn't get to have often. And Wyatt? He looked like he was enjoying every minute of watching her lose her carefully curated calm.
In between questions, Bucky wandered off to flirt with the barista and take selfies near the "Zen Charging Zone," finally giving them a moment alone.
Eliza leaned in, voice low. "This isn't how I imagined today going."
Eliza hesitated, then reached across the table and gently tapped his fingers. "Next time, let's go somewhere Bucky doesn't know exists."
"Think there's a dimension like that?" Wyatt grinned.
They were so caught up in the moment they didn't notice Bucky had returned — balancing three drinks and a mini selfie ring light.
"Group photo!" he declared, wedging himself between them and tossing an arm around each shoulder.
The camera flashed.
Later, Eliza would find the photo on Bucky's social media with the caption:
"Mentoring young love like the icon I am. #ThirdWheelOrFairyGodmother?"
And honestly?
She didn't even mind.